Usage situation has an importance of its own in consumer behaviour ; with beer as a product, the ppt from a student of Era Business School, tries to explain the issue.

1. Usage Situation :
Beer
Col Ajay K Raina, SM

2. My Task: BEER
• Interview Based:– Frequent usage situations.
– Identification of attributes.
• Questionnaire Based:– Inter-se importance of attributes for four most
important usage situations.
– Three leading brands, as per attributes, for four most
important usage situations.
• Presentation:– Variations – importance of user situations, brand image
and implications on positioning of a new product,
repositioning, advertising strategy and target group.

3. Why Beer?
• Is this really a product category or simply a
product?
• Beverages:-

4. Beer as a category
• Unlike its other cousins in the alcoholic grain
category, ie, Whisky, Rum, Gin and Vodka, Beer is
not distilled but is fermented instead.
• Four ingredients- water, barley, yeast, and hops.
• Broadly categorised into:– Lager (up to 6.75%)
– Strong (6.75 to 8.75%)
– Draught (72 hours).
• Categorisation also based on cost,
Packaging, ratio of ingredients like
Pale Ale, Stout, Mild, Wheat, Lager,
Lambic.

5. Focus
• Most of the research in the understanding of customer
choice processes is based on the paradigm that choice
is a function of product attributes (costs/benefits)
and customer characteristics.
• While perspectives based on products and customers
are useful, they appear not to be self-sufficient.
• Products and customers do not exist in a vacuum. Both
are embedded in an environment.
• Products may be viewed as fulfilling customer
requirements/goals that may have been instigated by
factors that are internal (such as needs, drives) and/or
external (such as societal norms, social influence
processes) to the individual.

6. Relevance of Attribution Theory
• Consumers try and make sense of their surroundings
on the basis of what they consider is the cause and
what is the effect of a phenomenon.
• It suggests that individuals observe their own
own behaviour or experience, try to figure out what
caused it, and then (whether or not their conclusion
is in fact correct) shape their future behaviour
accordingly.
• If a consumer, for example, has had bad experience
with a locally-made product (and good experience
with an imported one) he or she may conclude that
the bad product is bad because it is locally made.

7. Implications of Attribution Theory
• If a consumer attributes experience to
the product per se – Repurchase likely.
• If a consumer attributes experience to
the usage situation – Repurchase
uncertain.
• With increased brand loyalty and
enduring involvement, importance of
usage situation diminishes.
• When purchase situation and usage
situation are close in time, usage
situation is more likely to influence the
choice of brand.

8. Moving On : Modus-operandi

9. Step 1 -Interview
• Combination of phone and face-to-face with
10 respondents.
• Profile:– Family friends/senior relatives – 02.
– Colleagues and friends – 04.
– Youngsters – 04.
– Female – 04/10.

10. Frequent Usage Situations
• Social setting – entertaining/being entertained by
friends at home/ outside.
• Watching sporting event/movie on TV.
• In a lounge or bar or while on a trip on a weekend, with
family.
• Relaxing at home.
• Working in the garden/lawn
or while washing car/ doing
odd jobs around the house.
• Health drink.
• Beating the heat.

11. Attributes
• Taste –all ages and both genders.
• Flavour – full by males and youngsters; milder
by others.
• Calories – females more particular.
• Price – youngsters more concerned.
• Alcohol Content – similar to flavour.
• Different flavours
– females more open.

12. Part 2 - Questionnaire
• Sample size:Age Group
Females
Males
Total
20-30
04
11
15
30-45
06
13
19
45+
04
06
10
14
30
44
• Responses:– One-on-one – 16.
– Internet/e-mail – 18.
– Telephone – 10.
• Drinking Experience – 02 to 30 years.

13. QUESTIONNAIRE BASED SURVEY
Part 1 – Profile
Name (optional)………………… Age……………. Gender …………… Profession ………… Income ………
(Note:- Please proceed to fill up ONLY if you drink beer)
1.
2.
Part 2 – Questionnaire
How many years you have been drinking beer?
(a)
Less than 03 years
(b)
(c)
05-10 years
(d)
03-05 years
More than 10 years
What is the frequency of your beer-intake?
(a)
Once a week
(c)
More than twice a week
Twice a week
Irregular pattern
(b)
(d)
3.
What is your preferred climatic season for beer consumption?
(a)
Summers only
(b)
Any time except winters
(c)
No specific season
(d)
Season does not matter
4.
Please specify occasions when you like to have beer?
(a)
_______________________________________________________________
(b)
_______________________________________________________________
(c)
_______________________________________________________________
(d)
_______________________________________________________________
(e)
_______________________________________________________________
5.
Preferred place for consuming beer.
(a)
Home
(c)
Picnic/trips
(b)
(d)
Bar/lounge
Any other ______________

14. 6.
Any activity that you feel makes you enjoy the beer more than usual?
(a)
Socialising
(b)
Watching TV
(c)
Working
(d)
Relaxing
7.
Please specify the location with respect to relevant activity.
(a)
Socialising (where?) - At home/ outside
(b)
Watching TV (what kind of programme?) – Action/sports/movie/soap/news/reality
(c)
Working (what type?) – Washing vehicle/gardening/odd chores/cleaning.
(d)
Relaxing (how?) – Reading/ gossiping/ sun bathing/swimming
8.
What are the benefits of beer, as per your perception?
(a)
Beats the heat
(b)
Health drink
(c)
Keeps you in control
(d)
Any other ___________________
(pl specify)
9.
Rate the attributes in respect of the beer on a scale of 1 to 7 (7 being the highest
weightage):Attribute (pl tick the sub-attribute
before assigning value)
Taste
Flavour – strong /mild
Price
Alcohol content – high/low
Calories
Flavoured
Any other ___________________
Weightage

15. 10.
Please describe the best relationship between usage and attributes by ticking the best
relations.
Attribute
Socialising
Watching
TV
Bar/trip
with family
Relaxing at
home
Taste
Flavour
Price
Alcohol content
Calories
Flavoured
Any other __________
(pl specify)
11.
Please describe the best relationship between brands attributes and situations by writing
the brand names in the last column (for the ease of survey, three popular national brands, ie
Kingfisher, Fosters, Golden Eagle may please be used).
Brand
Socialising
Watching
TV
Bar/trip
with family
Relaxing at
home
Kingfisher
Fosters
Golden Eagle
Any other__________
(pl specify) / Irrelevance
of brand
12.
Would you like to give try to a new brand? If yes, what attributes, including additional ones,
would you look for in a new beer?
(a)
Crisp taste
(b)
Health consciousness

16. 13.
14.
Does beer remain your preferred drink when you have a choice?
(a)
Always
(b)
Always during summers only
(c)
No, I prefer harder drinks
(d)
Depends on mood.
When it comes to beer, how many bottles (650ml) do you consume usually?
(a)
1-2
(b)
2-3
(c)
more than 3
(d)
Depends on the occasion and mood.
15.
How do you find acceptance of beer as a social drink in the society?
(a)
Getting accepted gradually
(b)
Still a taboo
(c)
No one really cares
(d)
Cannot say
16.
Beer is generally perceived as a drink of youngsters. Do you agree?
(a)
Yes, absolutely
(b)
No, not at all
(c)
Cannot say.
17.
How do you perceive females as consumers of beer?
(a)
Pretty normal; how does it matter?
(b)
(c)
It is ok as long as they drink sensibly
(d)
Unusual
Cannot say
18.
Does beer have any health benefits? If yes, please specify
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
19.
Do you feel that status of beer now needs to be changed to that of an energy drink and its
consumption may be allowed in public places?
(a)
Yes
(b)
No
(c)
Only at tourist places
(d)
Cannot say
20.
If money is not the issue, will you prefer foreign labels over domestic ones?
(a)
Yes
(b)
No
(c)
Do not care
(d)
Cannot say

17. Deductions

18. Variations in Imp Ratings: Usage Situation
(On the Scale of 1 to 4)
Usage
Age Group
Social
Setting
Watching TV
Family
Outings
Relaxing at
Home
20-30 (M)
4
3
2
1
20-30 (F)
1
3
2
4
30-45 (M)
3
4
1
2
30-45 (F)
1
3
2
4
45+ (M)
4
2
1
3
45+ (F)
4
2
1
3
• More males of all age groups prefer to drink in social settings than their female counterparts.
• Females above 45 are more open to drinking during a social gathering.
• ‘Watching TV’ as also ‘Relaxing at Home’ compete closely with ‘Social Setting’ but females
prefer to drink at home while relaxing or watching TV while males prefer Social + TV.
• Drinking beer during family outings is not too favoured.

19. Variations in Brand Ratings: Usage
Situation (On the Scale of 1 to 4)
Brand
Kingfisher
Fosters
Golden Eagle
Tuborg/RC
Socialising
3
4
2
1
Watching
Bar/trip
Relaxing at
TV
with family
home
4
4
4
3
3
3
1
2
1
2
1
2
• While Fosters scores over others in the social settings, Kingfisher emerges as the overall
favourite brand; Social status/consciousness connected with a foreign brand could be the
reason.
• Golden Eagle remains popular with old timers.
• Some choices like Carlsberg, Royal Challenge, Tuborg and even the fact that brand makes no
difference, as long as beer is served chilled, have also been noticed.

20. Positioning/Re-positioning: Questions
Answered
• Under what circumstances the new product is more
likely to be consumed? – Social Settings (M & 45+ F)
and Home (F).
• What is the most important attribute? – Taste.
• Does status consciousness have a role to play ?–
Yes!

21. Implications : Positioning of New Product
• Usage Situations: Target the Existing Usage/new one.
– Males more inclined to drink on social occasions.
– Females prefer home environments.
– There is a common preference for consuming beer at home
(across the gender and age profiles);
• Attributes: Use it for Segmentation.
– Taste remains on top of the priority.
– Alcoholic content and potency of flavour higher for males.
– Youngsters sensitive to price.
– Females more concerned about calories.
– New flavours likely to find favours with females.
• The new product, based on its target populace (M or F, young or
old) would need to be positioned accordingly.

22. Implications: Re-positioning
• Older labels like Golden Eagle, though still popular,
are virtually not favoured by youngsters. Its age-old
charm may be highlighted to attract youngsters who
may be fascinated by its lineage.
• Beer may be re-positioned as a beverage associated
with celebrations, and life-style.
• By reducing calorie content and/or glycerine,
without any adverse effect on the taste, beer can be
re-positioned as a healthy alternative to harder
drinks.
• Packaging needs to be attractive and as per
international trends for contents to have appeal.

23. Advertising Strategy
• Ban on advertisements of alcoholic beverages is a
major hurdle.
• Surrogate ads (soda water/mineral water/calendar).
• Sponsorship of mega-events.
• In-store/bar/club visibility.
• Beer tasting sessions as part of a countrywide
campaign (on the lines of JW campaign of 2005).
• Making use of foreign venues (sporting event) where
no such restrictions exist.
• International platforms easily available in case the
product has international linkages.
• Brewery tours and visits.

24. Defining the Target Group
• A beer session post a round of golf or swim may still
be a favoured way for older generations, beer
essentially remains the drink of the youth.
• Ideal for the youngsters who want to have fun
without really going over-board.
• There is a social acceptance that is creeping in and
people of both genders do indulge in beer.
• Some beliefs like beer’s virtues for kidneys, stones
and even bladder irritation do favour it across age
and gender spectrum.
• When viewed in terms of attitude (experimentation)
and acceptance, future of beer lies with youth.